With no games between Sunday and Friday, the Hershey Bears went through a vigorous practice Thursday at Hersheypark Arena that was capped by a conditioning skate.

Brandon AndersonHERSHEY BEARS

"It's really the first week of consecutive practices we've had in a while with all these mid-week games," Bears head coach Mark French said. "We had a lot we needed to work on.”

Goalie Philipp Grubauer didn't practice but is scheduled to return to Hershey Thursday, and Brandon Anderson is slated for reassignment to Reading (ECHL). Grubauer stopped 14 of 16 shots in a period of action at Wednesday night's ECHL all-star game in Loveland, Colo.

French said the starting goalie for Friday night's game against St. John's at Giant Center remains TBA.

"I'd like to get both goalies back into the net," French said, "so we'll see how Philipp's doing.”